Mumbai Crime: Woman burnt alive over Rs 17,000 debt

The victim and the accused worked in the same company; the accused had given the money to the deceased, which she failed to return

Three men were arrested in Vasai on Wednesday in connection with the murder of a 27-year-old woman, who was burnt alive and her body was dumped in a jungle in Wangaon near Dahanu. The men, aged between 27 and 30 years, kidnapped and then murdered her after she failed to repay their money that she had taken for investing in her firm.

The accused had confessed that they had set Kavita on fire and her body was dumped in a suitcase in a jungle near Dahanu

The deceased identified as Kavita Kothare had taken Rs 17,000 from the accused for investing in Ratnam Infotech Private Limited, promising them higher returns but when that failed to happen, they kidnapped her on Sunday. Her burnt body was found on Wednesday.

The deceased Kavita Kothare

Kavita’s father, Kisanlal filed a missing complaint in the Arnala police station on Monday. He got a ransom call from the trio, demanding Rs 30 lakh and three kilograms of gold.

Kisanlal, who is a jeweller by profession, could not arrange for the ransom and he informed the Arnala police about the call. The investigators asked him to fix a meeting with the kidnappers, on the pretext of handing over the money.

Police said Kumar Mohit Bhagat, who was arrested through that trap, in his confession said that they had set Kavita on fire and her body was dumped in a suitcase near a Dahanu jungle. His two associates, Shiva Sharma and Ram Avtar Sharma, were also arrested on Wednesday. The Wangaon police recovered the body of the 27-year-old in the Sakra Ghat on the Wangaon-Kasa Road in Dahanu. It was identified as Kavita’s after matching the clues given by Kisanlal. A case of murder, kidnapping and conspiracy was registered against the accused. The trio will be produced in court today.